Category: R&B Gospel

Soul as Blues as Gospel as Blues as Soul

As I was driving yesterday, Aretha Franklin’s version of “Drown In My Own Tears” came on, and I was amazed about how very, very closely the song sounded for all the world just like a gospel song.  Same great female lead solo, fantastic backup vocals from the choir, chords that are pure gospel, or just one note off, and a killer vamp at the end.  As I listened again this morning, I recalled Beverly Crawford’s version of “(You Must Be) Born Again”, and knew it was just the gospel twin of Aretha’s song. And then I thought of Cream’s song, “Sitting On Top Of The World” and one see’s exactly where Soul, R&B and Gospel intersect with Rock music, so I’m throwing that in too for good measure.

This is a wonderful, simple lesson on the influence of black American blues, gospel, and soul music on the world

  1. Drown In My Own Tears Aretha Franklin 4:05

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  1. Born Again Beverly Crawford 11:14

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  1. Sitting On Top Of The World Cream 4:58

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Give Thanks…and More Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!!!  Here’s a simple playlist with a few songs about giving thanks.  Fire it up while you’re cooking this morning…and after that, pull up the Streaming Audio player for more great gospel as you get ready for the Thanksgiving festivities to begin.  Have a wonderful day…and THANK YOU for following this blog!!!!

 

  1. Thank You Lord Rev. James Cleveland & The Charles Fold Singers 6:17
  2. Thank You Lord Rev. James Cleveland & the Southern California Community Choir 5:17
  3. Lord I Thank You Dr. Charles G. Hayes & The Cosmopolitian Church Choir 5:52
  4. O Lord I Just Want To Thank You The Sixth Jurisdiction of Illinois State Choir COGIC 6:01
  5. Miracle (Thank You Lord) Rev. Timothy Wright 13:35
  6. Oh Give Thanks Dallas Fort Worth Mass Choir 6:32
  7. Thank You The Twilights 2:41
  8. I Just Want To Thank You Mt. Zion College Choir 7:49
  9. everyday-is-thanksgiving 4:45
  10. Thank You Jord Chosen 4:48
  11. Thank You For Today Geoffrey Dana Hicks 3:37

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Pressing On

I’m amazed at what I don’t know.  I tripped across this song this morning, and it just took me and GRABBED me. Whew…sooooo powerful. And those Muscle Shoals musicians add so much to the song.

The question.  IS THIS A GOSPEL SONG…a TRUE GOSPEL SONG??  Because even though it is performed by the incredible Ms. Alicia Keys, and backed up be an awesome Baptist Church choir, it was written by a white man; Bob Dylan, for his “Saved” album released in 1980. 

Discuss.

 

  1. Pressing On Alicia Keys 5:28

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So Good

A nice piece of contemporary R&B gospel from Karen Clark-Sheard’s 2nd album released in 2002. Karen was of the members of the FABULOUS Clark Sisters from Detroit Michigan.

In 2001 Karen was faced with a life-threatening crisis when a blood vessel burst during a scheduled hernia surgery. Her doctors only gave her a 2% chance of survival due to her complications. After the blood clot was surgically removed, Karen fell into a coma. The coma lasted three and a half weeks, but she made a miraculous recovery. Despite citing hernia surgery, fans continue to speculate that she had undergone a gastric bypass operation which led to the complications of hernia and brain aneurysm because after the ordeal Sheard returned in 2001 looking 1/3 of her size.

Though the release performed well on the charts and Karen’s vocals were in excellent form, the slick contemporary R&B production was not openly embraced by her core audience of traditional gospel music listeners.

 

  1. So Good Karen Clark-Sheard 4:06

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